Open House and Night Hike

So we came back from London and I was straight into preparing for my Christmas Open House.  It always takes way longer to prepare for this than I think.  Basically I spend from September to November trying to think up new products and then trying to get them to work.  Then, of course I have to make at least one of everything, work out the best packing for them and source that packaging, then work out labelling etc.  It always takes an age.  If I could outsource someone to do my packaging and labels I would - I hate it!

Then I have to bake and ice 4 cakes, source a non-alcoholic mulled punch drink (my usual has stopped being made!) and then there is set up.  It takes a good 4 hours to set the kitchen up, from clearing it, cleaning it and then working out display so all products can be seen.  There is definitely an art to display, and as I only do it once a year, I'm not all that skilled in it.  I did an experiment though I had men's chocolates (tool kit, nuts and bolts etc) on the right hand side and tiffins chocolate boxes on the left hand side on Friday and Saturday and swapped them round for Monday.  Seems to be whatever is on the right hand side sells better.  Hummm, something to think about for next time (ie work out the items with the best return and put them there!)

Anyway, on Friday morning I got up at 6am thinking I only had a little left to do (I set up a lot whilst Tom and Matt were at cricket practise on Thursday night) but still it took me to 9am to get everything ready.  I got it done just on time and then waited for everyone to arrive.  No-one arrived.  Where was everyone?  It was in fact really bad timing - there is a really horrible bug going round the school at the moment - a flu type virus, so bad that one pupil was hospitalised!  It was at its height on Friday - 9 children were missing from Tom's class alone!  So, lots of mums were stuck at home nursing sick children.  Luckily John Manning arrived at 11am and after that I had a steady stream of visitors - phew!

Some B&B owners came this time which was new - they wanted to see what I did in the way of cakes so they could let their guests know about me.  Another wanted to know if they could get sheep choccies from me to give to their guests etc, so they might generate new business next year - all very useful.

By the end of the day though I was disappointed - felt as if I was way down from last year.  Saturday morning was even worse - I only got 2 visitors the whole morning and I missed a really good game of football for it!  Then when 12 came I had to clear away everything from the island unit and disinfect it ready for a birthday cake workshop with an 11 year old coeliac!  I had been so busy that I hadn't really had time to worry about it or even plan it.  Luckily the birthday girl was very excited to be spending the afternoon with me and was capable in the kitchen, very chatty and just lovely really.  Her mum had sent through a drawing of the birthday cake she wanted (a guinea pig wearing a top hat).  I had made a cake ready for her and iced it in plain white fondant.  We then decorated it together.  She was great - except she was very particular about the colour of the guinea pig and it took ages to get it right and then the fondant was over worked - but we got there - just - we were taking photos of it just as her mum arrived back.  Time went very quickly but it was enjoyable.  I wouldn't mind doing it again - but only if the child was keen and capable.

Then a quick tea before getting Tom ready for an all night hike with scouts.  We dressed him in layers, borrowed some seriously good hiking boots from someone who runs an outdoors company and loaded him up with snacks.  It was raining when we dropped him off.  It rained the whole night.  We were a little worried about him doing it - he was 1 of 2 his age who went for it, however, it was his decision to do it and we didn't want to dissuade him, quite proud of him really, although we had no idea what missing a whole night's sleep would do to him?!

Fast asleep!

We were told to keep our phones on all night in case there was a problem, otherwise to collect him at 9am.  At 5am the phone went.  Everything was good, but all the children were wet so they thought it best that they were collected earlier - they told us to head down at 6am.  We did so, to find a hut full of people.  In the middle were sleeping bags and in one of them was our Tom.  The lights were on, it was noisy but he was spark out and we had a job waking him!  He was a little dazed and confused, Matt carried him to the car and we took him home.  When we got him inside he sat on me and cried.  He was completely overwhelmed with what he had done: walked 8.5 miles in the dead of night in the rain and then we had woken him up from a dead sleep.  We tried to get some food into him (he missed breakfast at the scout hut as they didn't want to wake him up) and then he went to bed.  Think we was asleep in seconds.   Matt and I were of course awake for good now, so we retired to the lounge to do some computer work whilst we let him sleep.  He woke up again at 10am for the day.  He had a bath and then we went to Ireby Farm for lunch (his request).  The afternoon was spent watching telly and playing games.  Matt and I played tag team parents and headed round the village by ourselves to get some fresh air - couldn't really expect Tom to come with us.

We all went to bed very early.

Monday, I had another open morning.  It was a little more successful, once again no-one came directly from school, but at one point I had a good 6 people in and was struggling to speak to everyone.  I got a couple of decent orders, and finished up satisfied.  I think with orders that will come in afterwards from those unable to attend, I'll do ok.  Raised just under £100 for Cancer Research as well.

South Lakes Cricketeer

The rest of the week was spent getting the kitchen back to its usual chaos and then confirming orders and making lots and lots of lists to make sure I have everything recorded and work schedules sorted to make sure I don't miss anything.

Tom got his South Lakes cricket kit this week - here's a pic of him, looks smart doesn't he?  He had a really good session on Thursday - his batting was amazing.  Certainly growing in confidence with every session.